Shanks
| jva= Shūichi Ikeda| eva= | extra1= | extra2=| bounty= | devil fruit=| }} Red-Haired Shanks (赤髪のシャンクス|Akagami no Shankusu) is the pirate who inspired Luffy to go on his journey and is the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. He is one of the Yonkou Pirates in the second half of the Grand Line. Appearance Shanks always wears a long black cape over his shoulders and until he met Luffy, wore a straw hat that he had worn for many years beforehand. He always wears trousers that are cut below the knee as well as a pair of sandals. The most striking thing about Shanks is the color of his red hair, of which his nick-name 'Red Haired Shanks' comes from. He also has three scars across his left eye, which were revealed to have been given to him by Blackbeard One Piece manga - Chapter 434, Shanks tells Whitebeard who gave him his scars., as well as having a missing left arm. He usually carries a Sabre on his right hip. He also speaks with a cockney accent in the English 4Kids dub. Personality Shanks one of the most laid back characters in the world of One Piece preferring to take his time as he and his crew travels around the world rather than rushing from one place to another. Shanks isn't cruel like many other pirate captains nor does he rule over his crew with fear to gain respect. His friendly nature means he won't purposely seek to harm others, and he is able to make serious characters like Mihawk join in with his fun. Yet despite how simple minded he appears at first, Shanks is a complex person with some rather difficult to understand views. One Piece manga - Chapter 19 Buggy and Shanks discuss being a pirate, Buggy admits Shanks is a complex man after hearing what he has to say about being a pirate. Shanks doesn't seem to mind what happens to himself. He'll take others throwing food and drink or spitting on him without even fighting back, laughing with his crew at his own misfortunes. Even losing an arm did not bother him much. Shanks and his crew are almost always seen partying and drinking alcoholic beverages whenever they make an appearance, as the captain's favorite pastimes are attending and hosting parties and banquets. According to Oda, Shanks is the one character that resembles himself the most out of all the One Piece characters, because of his fun-loving partying nature. SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.24 - Chapter 221, Fan question: Who is most like you Oda? He also is against the idea of needless bloodshed, even if honor is involved and so far seems to only step up for a fight when a friend is in endanger. He also likes teasing people, as demonstrated by his apparent reactions to Luffy as a child. One Piece manga - chapter 1 Shanks states he likes to tease Luffy. Oda also stated that if a child asked Shanks for a Devil Fruit he'd tease them about being 10 years too young to eat one. SBS fan questions: One Piece Manga vol.7 Chapter 59 - When I was working at a fruit stand a little while ago, there was some little brat who said, "How dumb, this place doesn't have any Gomu Gomu fruits". If another kid like that comes into the shop, what should I say? Please tell me. Despite being calm and brave most of the time, he has displayed a side of him that likes to panic when things go wrong. One Piece manga - chapter 1 Shanks panics when Higuma takes Luffy. As the person Luffy most looks up to, Shanks' personality traits seem to have surfaced in Luffy as well, adding to the personality traits Luffy already picked up from his brother and grandfather. Relationships Crew While few of Shanks' crew have been named, he seems generally to get alongside them all and they look up to him with respect as their captain. Shanks looks out for the well being of the entire crew, from refusing to take a child (Luffy) on board his ship to denying Rockstar permission to take on Whitebeard's men who had insulted Rockstar's honor. Friends Luffy looks up to Shanks as his role model, childhood hero and the man he wants to eventually surpass. At first, Shanks never took Luffy seriously as he was just a boy so mocked his dreams to become a pirate, dubbing him "Anchor". Later after Luffy stood up for him in front of Higuma and his men, as they were leaving when Luffy declared he would be better than him Shanks begins to treat him seriously. In the manga Ben Beckman tells Shanks that Luffy is going to be big. Shanks confirms this by saying that Luffy reminds him of himself when he was Luffy's age. Just as Luffy is currently looking for Shanks, Shanks eagerly awaits the day he meets up with Luffy. Shanks also sees Luffy as the future for piracy One Piece manga - Chapter 434, Shanks (remembering his farewell to Luffy when they last met); "I bet it (referring to his left arm) on the next generation!" and was delighted at his coming so much he threw a party to celebrate even though he was already drunk. Meanwhile Garp blames Shanks for poisoning Luffy's mind with ideas about being a pirate when he wanted Luffy to become a Marine. Enemies The World Government view Shanks as a problem and a trouble maker, but realizes he is a man who won't try to change the world by himself. However due to the position he holds, they fear he could get out of hand and are prepared to eliminate him if he ever gets out of hand. So far, outside of the World Government, the only one who appears to oppose Shanks is Buggy the Clown. Ironically, in their youth Buggy accused Shanks of being too naive and innocent to ever make it as a pirate and yet presently Shanks is a great pirate while Buggy and his crew are quite weak in comparison. One Piece manga - Chapter 19 and episode 8, Buggy insults Shanks on his outlook on piracy. Abilities and Powers Little is known about what Shanks is able to do. According to Buggy as a young man, he is a strong fighter and had it not been for his ideals he would had wanted him on his crew.One Piece manga - Chapter 19, Buggy mentions Shanks is a strong fighter. What is also known is that as a member of the 4 Emperor Pirates in the second half of the Grand Line, his power is equal to that of Whitebeard and that losing an arm did not weaken him in any way. One Piece Data Books - Shanks did not lose any power losing an arm. While Shanks has yet to display the full extent of his combat abilities, it is heavily implied that he's one of the strongest characters in the series. After saving Luffy from a seaking, Shanks was able to frighten it off with a single angry glare. One Piece manga Chapter 1, One Piece anime Episode 4 - Shanks scares Lord of the Coast away with one stare Later, while boarding Whitebeard's ship for their meeting, half of Whitebeards crew lapses into unconsciousness and the ship itself begins taking damage from Shanks' mere presence. Whitebeard's men attribute this to his superior "spirit." Whether or not this is a specific attack or merely a natural effect of his immense power is unknown, though Shanks indicated that it was a conscious effort on his part. One Piece manga - Chapter 434 Weapons So far in the series Shanks has only been seen wielding a sword in combat. While his use of it was only briefly shown, the fact that he was able to match a blow from Whitebeard is a clear indication of the strength he puts behind his attacks. Before losing his arm to rescue Luffy, Mihawk would often seek out Shanks for duels. Since Mihawk is classified as the worlds greatest swordsman, (who dwarfs Zoro in skill) and Shanks is a former rival of his, it can be assumed that Shanks is an extremely proficient swordsman. History The Apprentice Pirate While Shanks was introduced during Chapter 1 of the manga and episode 4 of the anime, his story actually begins much earlier. Shanks comes from the West Blue and in his past, he was a cabin boy aboard a ship alongside another would-be pirate, Buggy the Clown. They were members of Gold Roger's crew and took part in many things such as fighting with Whitebeard. The two spent most of their time together arguing over meaningless things, such as which pole was colder, the North or the South. Their constant bickering was met with annoyance by the rest of the crew. One Piece - Episode 08 and One Piece manga - Vol.3 - Chapter 19. Shanks and Buggy's history They would remain forever at odds with each other after they raided a ship where they found a treasure map and a Devil Fruit. After hearing about how much he could sell them for, Buggy switched the fruit with a fake and ate the fake in front of the entire crew. Due to this action, he could successfully sell the real fruit without anyone noticing. However, when Buggy retreated to a lifeboat with the fruit and the treasure map, Shanks surprised him twice--the first time causing Buggy to hide the fruit in his mouth, and the other causing him to swallow it. The location of the treasure was close by, so in desperation, Buggy jumped into the sea to get it, only to start drowning. He was rescued by Shanks, but since then Buggy blamed him for ruining his plot to become rich. One Piece manga - Chapter 19, Buggy and Shanks' story, as told by Buggy himself. Shanks and Buggy were last seen together at Logue Town on the day of Roger's death. Shanks immediately began his quest to form his own crew by offering a place to Buggy. However Buggy replied no and the two separated, they have not seen each other since, however Shanks has heard rumors Buggy is still a pirate somewhere. One Piece manga - chapter 434, Shanks speaks about the last time he saw Buggy. Note: Shanks was 15 at the time of Roger's death. The Rise of Captain Red-Hair At some point in his life (date unknown), he met Blackbeard who was then a member of Whitebeard's crew. What happened is unknown, however Blackbeard left Shanks with a 3 scars across his left eye. One Piece manga - Chapter 434, Shanks tells Whitebeard who gave him his scars. Shanks also fought often with Mihawk and their battles were said to echo through the whole of the Grand Line. As his strength as a pirate Captain rose, he was named one of the Yonkou. One Piece manga - Chapter 432, Shanks and the 4 Emperors Shanks and the Boy Luffy Years later, after becoming the captain of his own pirate ship, Shanks arrived on an island where he met a strange young boy named Monkey D. Luffy. Intrigued by the boy and enjoying the atmosphere of Luffy's village, he decided to make the island his crew's base for a short period of time. One Piece - Episode 04 and One Piece manga - Vol.1 - Chapter 1. Shanks and Luffy's history Luffy quickly grew attached to the crew, so much so that he wished to join their ranks and become a pirate as well. Shanks refused to allow the boy into his crew on the basis that he was too young. One day, a group of bandits, led by Higuma the Bear, came into a bar where they were drinking and started harassing Shanks when they found out that he and his crew drank all of the sake, but he refused to fight back, and after they left the entire crew broke out laughing, to Luffy's anger. After Luffy stood up to Higuma the Bear for insulting his role-model, Luffy got caught up in a hostage situation and his captives were defeated by the Red-Haired Pirates, who considered a friend to be something worth fighting over, but the bandit leader Higuma had fled out to sea with Luffy, only for the two to be attacked by a Sea King. Higuma was eaten, but Shanks mangaged to save Luffy. However the incident cost Shanks his left arm. One Piece manga Chapter 1, One Piece anime Episode 4 - Shanks scares Lord of the Coast away with one stare Shortly after, Shanks set sail along with his crew, but before leaving, he and Luffy promised each other that one day Luffy would surpass Shanks and become the Pirate King and then Shanks left Luffy his straw hat as a parting gift, telling him to return it once he surpassed him. News of Luffy Arrives After leaving Luffy's home town, we next see Shanks and his crew 10 years later after the main storyline begins. They are seen relaxing on an island after drinking heavily. Then much to the terror of a few of Shanks' weaker crew members, Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk pays Shanks a visit, bringing news that delights the red-haired pirate: Luffy has gained a bounty of 30,000,000. One Piece - Episode 45 and One Piece manga - Vol.11 - Chapter 96, Mihawk brings news to Shanks Message to Whitebeard Currently, Shanks and his crew are sailing the Grand Line, but while they are aware of Luffy's rise to fame, they have not yet encountered the younger pirate or his crew. Shanks also for some reason has an interest in Portgas D. Ace and Blackbeard, and has sent a messenger to deliver a note to Whitebeard concerning this matter. Shanks is now on his way to visit Whitebeard in person. One Piece - Episode 151 and One Piece manga - Vol.25 - Chapter 234, Shanks contacts Whitebeard, The World Government considered drastic measures such as elimination if he caused trouble. However Shanks declared he would fight anyone who got in his way. As he traveled to see Whitebeard, a fleet of Marine ships tried to stop him, but his crew forced their way through. One Piece - Episode 151 and One Piece manga - Vol.25 - Chapter 233, The world Government's fear of Shanks, Meeting Whitebeard After the two Yonkou meet, Shanks and Whitebeard discuss the past. Whitebeard talks about how far Shanks has come since he was on Roger's crew as a mere cabin boy. Shanks reveals he was at Roger's death, that rumors say Buggy is still around as a pirate. Shanks tried to convince Whitebeard that allowing Blackbeard and Ace to meet is a bad idea. He reminds Whitebeard that it was Blackbeard who scarred his left eye and that Blackbeard is a serious threat to Whitebeard's rule on the seas. However Whitebeard refused to accept any other alternative solution to the matter. After Whitebeard holds his grounds on the issue at hand, the talks between the two break down, leaving Shanks' crew wondering whether it was the start of a war or not. Major Battles *Vs Whitebeard's crew (as a apprentice pirate, none have yet to be shown) *Vs Mihawk (none of his matches have ever been seen) *Vs Blackbeard (details unknown, yet left shanks with his scar) *Vs Whitebeard (not really a fight, just a break down in talks between him and Whitebeard). Early One Piece Shanks was first featured in the first pilot of One Piece Romance Dawn V.1 in the Shonen Jump specials showcasing upcoming artists, about a year and a half before One Piece began. Much of his storyline remained the same with the major difference being that Higuma the Bear was absent from the story in this version. Another minor difference was that his arm was bitten off by a shark instead of a Sea King. In the second pilot Romance Dawn V.2 of One Piece (featured in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine itself), Luffy got both his hat and the Devil fruit he ate from his grandfather, not Shanks. According to Oda the reason for not featuring Shanks was that he wanted Shanks to be kept a secret until One Piece was serialized so he would have a greater impact. One Piece manga - Vol. 1 - Oda's notes on Romance Dawn V.1 and V.2. Unlike Luffy, there was no real significant change in appearance from Romance Dawn V.1 to the final version. Even with change of art style, aside from being drawn less realistic, he is the same. The only real exception being the absence of his black cape, although he did adorn a decorative short cape over his left shoulder at the end of the chapter. Translation and Dub Issues Shanks is mostly the centre of the removal of alcohol related alterations in the English dub by 4Kids. For example, the scene where Mihawk brought news of Luffy's coming suffered heavy cuts. Shanks still asks Mihawk to stay, but much of this scene was removed because of the alcoholic references, including references to him throwing a party to celebrate Luffy's coming. Thus Shanks' fun-living nature was lost and instead it depicted him with an evil tone. Also, the scene was cut from its original episode and added at the end of a much earlier episode. In the process many other scenes from the original episode were also cut from the 4Kids version and never shown, such as the scene showing Kaya and Luffy's hometown. In the book The Anime Encyclopedia - A guide to Japanese animation since 1917(2001), there was a short article about One Piece. In it there were 2 mistakes concerning Shanks; his name is written as "Junx" and he was written to have been saved by Luffy instead of the other way round. The Anime Encyclopedia - A guide to Japanese animation since 1917(2001) - One Piece entry (Page 285). Of all these errors, the name "Junx" would remain in several revisited editions of the book. Cameos and Crossovers *Shanks has appeared in the game Jump Ultimate Stars for the DS. Merchandise He was issued alongside Luffy and Lord of the Coast in a One Piece Block Figures set featuring the Straw Hats and their past mentors/loved ones. He has featured in One Piece Gashapon sets. Another Gashapon set he featured in was the One Piece Full Color R Gashapon series. There was also a Plushie released for him. He is also due to be released in the lastest Portrait of Pirates series. Songs *Katayoku no Taka *Talking Blues Trivia *In one of the SBS sections of One Piece, in reference to Shanks and Buggy's 'which is colder' question, a fan asked Oda who got it right. He went on to explain the Arctic was just a mass of ice and that the Antarctic was a continent, made of land. Since land is colder then the sea (and the Arctic is frozen sea whereas the Antarctic is frozen land), Shanks was correct and the South Pole is colder, however it is not the coldest place in the world.'' SBS questions: One Piece Manga - Vol.18 - Chapter 158, Fan question: who got the arguments between the poles correct? *Oda has been asked at least once on Shanks' bounty, but has not stated the amount yet. One Piece manga - Vol.15, chapter 132 - SBS Fan question: okay first of all, Gold Roger and Red-Haired Shanks seem pretty tough, but what are the bounties placed on their heads? *Even though he has traveled the world, Shanks believes the best sake can be found in his hometown in the West Blue. He also refers to Alcohol to Whitebeard as "Healing Water". *Shanks is one of the characters in One Piece with a unique laugh. His particular laugh is a loud "Dahahaha". *Shanks' nickname for Luffy as a child ("anchor") has some irony as a "Shank" is part of a ships anchor. *Shanks starred in the Mugiwara Theatre - Mugiwara High School written and drawn by Oda. The strip was done after he claimed first place in a poll for characters fans wanted to see appear in the Mugiwara Theatre series. One Piece 10th Treasures collection. References See also *Monkey D. Luffy *Buggy External links *Words in the wind, a Shanks and Luffy fan listing *STRAW HAT, a fansite dedicated to Shanks *Red-Haired Shanks at Wikipedia Category:Yonkou Category:Pirates Category:Pirate Captains Category:Swordsmen Category:West Blue Characters Category:Red-Haired Pirates Category:Male Category:Human Category:East Blue Characters